Shoulder Massage
by ForestLights
Summary: In which Naru finds out Mai is good at giving shoulder massages.


"Are you guys going to stand there and chat all day or are you going to help carry in something?" Naru asked his female assistant, the monk and the dark haired medium.

The three stopped chattering and looked over at Naru who was now rolling one of his shoulders slightly before letting out a sigh. He done this because he'd just carried in the last of the equipment.

"I am so sorry boss, here I'll set it up while you rest." Mai said suddenly, trying to make amends by offering to set up the equipment.

Naru didn't say anything while Monk also apologized before helping Mai to set up the equipment for base. While they did so Naru sat down in a chair and Masako slowly made her way over to him. Seeing the dark haired girl near her boss out of the corner of her eye, Mai looked over and began to listen intently to what the two were saying.

"If you would like I could massage your shoulders for you?" Masako's voice was soft, and even though her offer sounded harmless Mai knew that the girl had ulterior motives. A pang of jealousy rushed through her veins as she waited to see what Naru's response would be.

"No thank you, I'll be fine. If you could help Takigawa and Mai with the equipment it would be much appreciated though." His tone was professional and mechanical. If it were any other girl like Mai or Ayako for instance that asked him that he would've given them a witty remark that would make them angry, but it seem Masako was an exception to this.

Mai wondered why this was. Could it be because he liked her? Maybe, or could it be because he respected her? She didn't know. The sound of Takigawa's voice calling her name brought her from her thoughts and she returned to helping him set up the equipment.

Later that night Mai was returning from the kitchen downstairs to bring Naru his fifth cup of tea when she found Naru rubbing at his shoulders. Mai suddenly felt guilty for not helping him earlier when they were supposed to be carrying things in. Silently she sat down the cup of tea in front of him on the table the monitors resided on before speaking. "I take it your shoulders are bothering you?"

"I'll be fine." Naru answered as he reached for his cup of tea, regarding her concern for his shoulders.

Mai scowled at her boss. He was so egotistical it wasn't even funny. She huffed then took her spot behind him and gently placed her hands on his shoulders. Her doing so made Naru tense and turn to look at her with a threatening glare.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked her.

Mai simply disregarded his glare and gently pulled him back against the seat, as to be careful she didn't make him spill the hot tea on himself. "Giving you a shoulder massage, relax."

"I didn't ask you to give me one." Naru stated harshly, trying to sit up away from her once more but Mai wouldn't let up.

"Listen, if you don't be still you're going to have hot tea in your lap so just relax and let me give you a massage. Besides it'll make your shoulders feel better. You don't want them to continue to bother you do you?" Mai asked, asserting some authority in her voice.

Naru fell silent for once, the only thing that came from him was an irritated sigh as he sat back and let his assistant do as she pleased.

"Thank you." Mai said in a soft voice as she positioned her hands on his shoulders. Even though Naru wasn't terribly fond of people touching him for some reason Mai's touch didn't seem so bad. Her slender fingers firmly but gently worked out the knots in his shoulders making him sigh in content. Because he had never gotten a shoulder massage before he couldn't tell if she was skilled at it or not but seeing as the pain in his shoulders was going away he concluded that she was quite effective at giving shoulder massages.

"I take it you've done this before?" Naru suddenly asked as he finished off his tea while Mai's fingers continued to knead his shoulders. Apparently she hit a sensitive spot because Naru tensed then relaxed as she gently rubbed at the spot.

"Yeah." Mai answered before pausing as a small smile came across her lips. "After my mother came home from work she would always complain about her shoulders hurting so I always gave her massages so her shoulders wouldn't hurt. Although I remember I was really rough at first and sometimes made my mother's shoulders hurt worse than they already had but I eventually got better at it."

"Your mother, what kind of job did she have?"

"She cleaned houses and stuff. Since she was getting older the work was starting to wear on her shoulders I suppose." Mai said softly, there was a bit of melancholy in her voice but ironically her lips were still curved into a smile. "I guess that's where I learned how to clean." This time a laugh escaped her lips. She remembered how sometimes she would go help her mother when she was in junior high before her mother had gotten sick. She was a natural when it came to cleaning, or at least her mother thought she was.

Silence then filled the air between the two as Mai finished up the massage she was giving Naru. When she was done her hands lingered on his shoulders as she circled around to the side of him. When she done so she noticed that his eyes were half lidded as they stared at the monitors sat up in front of him. So far they had no activity so it was pretty quite around the house. "If you're tired I can take over for you?" Mai asked as she noted his drooping eyes.

"No, I'll be fine." Naru answered his eyes opening to their full extent as he sat up straight stretching out his back slightly. His shoulders felt wonderful now, all the pain had left them thanks to Mai's handy work.

"So how do you feel?" Mai asked as she stepped back and put her hands on her hips proudly seeing as her boss looked like he felt better.

"Better, now go make me some more tea." He replied monotonously as his gaze remained fixed on the monitors in front of him.

Mai's expression suddenly became frustrated as her jaw jutted out in irritance. "I don't get a thank you?" She asked as she snatched the tea cup out of her boss' hands only to see that he was now turning to face her.

Her eyes widened as she watched the male's lips turn upwards into a soft smile, a real soft genuine smile that he had once shown her nearly a year ago after they'd solved the case at Yasuhara's school. "Thank you." He said before turning away from her and leaving her to the task he'd given her.

Mai gawked at her dark haired boss for a few moments longer before blushing red as a beat, concluding that it was the fact that he was tired was why he'd just smiled at her like that.

* * *

TAAADDAAA. There you have it people, the shoulder massage. LOL. I got the idea from the episode where Naru had carried in all the equipment while everyone else was blabbering on about something. I think it was during the Urado case where this happened. And then I got the shoulder massage idea from the sequel to the Ghost Hunt Manga. Akumu no Sumu Ie (is that right? idk) 1st chapter where Naru returned and was tired so Mai offered to massage his shoulders while Yasu read the case file to him. LAWLS. **She has got Naru whipped**. Anyway kind of combined those two inspirations and made a short one shot. Review?

Also, Naru's such a complex character. Egh. I can't figure him out. . I'm going to try to make him in character as I possibly can. . Although. I find him a bit snappy here, but I think he would be considering he's got his ego to worry about and I don't think he'd want someone caring about him. Idk. What do you guys think?


End file.
